148     SOPHISTICATION  OF  RECTIFIED  OIL  OF  AMBER,  ETC. 
smaller.  The  oil,  when  separated  from  the  water,  measured 
two  and  a-half  fluidounces,  (12  J  per  cent.)  This  is  the  Oleum 
Succini  Kectificatum  (TJ.  S.  P.)  having  an  amber  color,  and  the 
peculiar  succinic  odor,  sp.  gr.  '903  at  60°  F.,  beginning  to  boil 
at  339°  F.  and  its  temperature  continuing  to  rise  to  367°  F., 
soluble  in  alcohol  to  a  limited  extent,  but  dissolving  in  all  pro- 
portions in  chloroform,  ether,  bisulphuret  of  carbon,  and  the 
fixed  oils.  The  residue  left  in  the  retort  after  the  distillation 
of  the  rectified  oil  of  amber,  (U.  S.  P.)  was  of  a  brown  color, 
sp.  gr.  1'019  at  60°  F.,  having  the  consistence  of  simple  syrup, 
and  possessing  to  a  marked  degree  the  odor  of  the  oil  of  amber ; 
it  was  partially  soluble  in  stronger  alcohol.  This  residue  had, 
to  a  marked  extent,  a  resemblance  to  the  commercial  article 
sold  as  crude  oil  of  amber. 
The  annexed  table  shows  the  properties  of,  and  the  action  of 
reagents  upon  the  several  oils  examined.    (See  page  149.) 
The  conclusions  based  upon  the  foregoing  experiments  are, 
first,  that  rectified  oil  of  amber  is  extremely  scarce,  if  not 
entirely  absent  from  the  market ;  secondly,  that  the  articles  sold 
as  such  are  Kerosene,  modified,  perhaps,  by  heat,  and  resinified 
oil  of  turpentine. 
I  observed  that  Kerosene,  when  heated  to  360°  F.  and 
upwards,  lost  much  of  its  coaly  odor,  acquired  an  amber  color, 
and  was  rendered  very  similar  in  appearance  to  the  commercial 
rectified  oil  of  amber,  as  seen  by  sample  upon  the  table,  and 
that  the  change  became  more  apparent  with  an  increase  of  heat, 
as  seen  by  another  sample.  The  commercial  oil,  under  the 
same  conditions,  suffered  similar  changes. 
This  Kerosene  variety,  when  exposed  to  direct  sun-light,  is 
distinctly  opalescent,  and  it  is  further  distinguished  from  the 
genuine  oil  by  its  insolubility  in  alcohol,  and  the  absence  of  a 
resinous  body  when  treated  with  nitric  acid.  It  is  inferred  that 
this  variety  represents  the  article  now  furnished  to  the  trade,  as 
the  remaining  samples  were  from  dispensing  establishments 
where  they  had  long  been  in  stock.  The  latter  variety, 
(turpentine,)  is  sufficiently  distinguished  by  its  odor,  and 
violent  fulminating  action  with  iodine. 
The  product  of  the  oxidation  of  forty  grains  of  true  oil  of 
